Thursday, November 1, 2012

Are Gay TV Dads shooting blanks with Viewers?

The gay fathers on TV today can make us laugh, but can they inspire? If they can't inspire can they at least not embody embarrassing stereotypes? Thinking about the latest crop of gay dads on television I can't help but recall a popular chant from the Act Up demonstrations whenever someone was arrested or harassed: "The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!" The irony is that, too often, the world wasn't watching then. But now, thanks to these primetime characters, people are definitely watching. They just aren't seeing much of the truth.

I know it's TV, but at this point in the game these stories should be better. Please check out this rest of the article. It's pretty good.

I personally think the emphasis should be pulled off them being Gay dads. They play annoying stereotypes, yes, but in the world of sitcoms and whatever they're calling the new version of them without live studio audiences, Straight dads have been based off stereotypes and extremes since forever and the "iconic" straight parent couple is hardly a true representation of reality - The dad is always either fat and/or bafoonish and the mom is always thin and a hard ass. And when 2 (or more) straight dads are raising kids on tv, they are always unrealistic extremes - examples: 2 and half men, Full House, My 2 Dads.And as successful as these shows may have been they were hardly any better than what is being done with gay dads. The reality of it is that 2 gay dads are no different than normal parents and to make room for them on TV, writers are trying to make extremes people will be entertained by. Unfortunately, those extremes haven't been very groundbreaking yet. There - My 2cents and a nickle :P